


Komorebi

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Series: Black Moon [10]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Clubbing, Confessions, First Kiss, M/M, Slow Romance, Visual Kei, costume porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 15:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14548095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: Byakuya records the piano part of one of Black Moon's songs as he slowly starts to become more interested in becoming a musician. At Hirako Shinji's birthday party, both Renji and Byakuya realize something important.





	Komorebi

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/gifts), [Josey (cestus)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/gifts).



> 'Komorebi' means 'sunlight filtering through the trees'. I hope you enjoy!

Renji brought up the topic at the next meeting after they wrapped up with planning their tour and two more concerts: one in August, one in October. When they moved onto discussing their recording, Renji mentioned the last track of the album and told them how he’d offered Kuchiki Byakuya to play the piano parts of the song.

Ichigo was surprised. “Kuchiki Byakuya can play piano?” he asked.

“How is he?” Hisagi asked.

“He’s really good at the piano,” Renji said. “And he’s a good singer as well.”

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. “Wait, did you get him to play the piano for you?” he asked.

Renji nodded. “He also likes writing songs,” he said.

Yoruichi looked pleasantly surprised. “You mean Byakuya-boy actually played his music for you?” she asked. “Huh. He’s always been hesitant whenever I asked to hear his songs.”

“I didn’t even know he played the piano,” Chad said.

“Well, the Kuchiki family is renowned for being well-versed in music,” Yoruichi said. “Though they never believed in making careers out of making modern music. According to them, it’s too ‘uncouth’.”

“You know the Kuchiki family?” Hisagi asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “Byakuya and I grew up together as kids. He always had an ear for music and he loved playing the piano. Not even kidding; he’d spend like, hours at the piano every day. But when his family found out that he was getting interested in songwriting… well, let’s just say he stopped songwriting completely.”

Yoruichi smiled. “I think it’s good that Byakuya’s getting back into songwriting and piano,” she said.

“So, are we all agreeing to this?” Renji asked.

“Sure,” Hitsugaya said. “Sounds like it’ll be a good opportunity for him to showcase his own skills.”

“Also, having a real piano in the song will make it sound much more genuine,” Ichigo added. “I think it’ll be beautiful.”

Chad nodded. “Sounds good,” he said.

“Why not?” Hisagi said. “I think it’ll be great.”

Renji smiled. “Great. I’ll let him know,” he said.

“And don’t forget to give him this,” Ichigo said, pulling out the music sheets from his backpack.

The music sheets were the piano parts of the song, known as ‘Komorebi’, which Ichigo had written himself. The song itself was a love song with heartbreaking lyrics and a sad, mournful melody, making it the perfect ending track for the album. Renji remembered hearing the demo version of the song and how it had successfully pulled at the heartstrings with the sad piano notes and melancholic melody.

Renji nodded. “Sure,” he said, taking the music sheets. “I’ll give them to him the next time I see him.”

The topic then changed to another upcoming event.

“So, we were all invited to Hirako Shinji’s birthday party,” Ichigo said. “What do you think?”

“Well, Rangiku-san is going to be throwing the party, isn’t she?” Hisagi asked. “She and Hirako Shinji are well-known for throwing big parties. I think it’ll be fun! I mean, everyone’s gonna be there!”

“And it’s not just musicians and artists,” Yoruichi said. “I also got an invite, and so did Byakuya. He’s inviting people in the music industry in general. So it’s gonna be one big party.” She smiled. “You guys should wear your outfits from the ‘Black & White’ music video for the party! It’ll be awesome!”

“I thought we agreed to wear those for our live in August!” Hisagi said, looking surprised.

“And besides, those are way too risqué for a party!” Hitsugaya protested.

“Come on, I was just teasing!” Yoruichi laughed. “Okay, maybe your ‘Momoiro no Hana’ outfits would work better.”

“I was thinking that too!” Ichigo agreed.

And maybe Byakuya could dress up for the party as well, Renji thought. Just how good would he look in a Visual-Kei style? Oh, he’d definitely look awesome. Byakuya would totally rock the eyeliner and eyeshadow, and even a little bit of lipstick would work wonders on him. As for clothes, something in darker colours would stand out and make him look classy and sophisticated. Deep blue, maybe. Or burgundy, or even a midnight purple.

Renji made a mental note to tell Ishida about this. He had all the best ideas when it came to making clothes and costumes.

* * *

“They said yes?” Byakuya asked.

Renji had stopped by Byakuya’s office to drop off the music sheets and tell him the good news. Byakuya had been in the middle of reviewing employee resumés when Renji came in, which surprised Byakuya quite a bit. Musicians rarely ever came by the employee offices, let alone the CEO’s office.

But that surprise had quickly disappeared when Renji gave him the music sheets. Now, Byakuya was even more surprised, but inside, he was secretly thrilled.

“Thank you, Renji,” he managed to say calmly. “I truly appreciate this.”

Renji smiled. “Don’t mention it,” he said. “Before I leave, I just want you to know that Ishida wants to see you for measurements at some point today.”

Byakuya looked at him curiously. “What for?” he asked.

“To make you an outfit for Hirako Shinji’s party,” Renji said. “I heard you were invited.”

“Yes, I am,” Byakuya said. “But even then, why would I need a new outfit?”

“Well, me and the rest of Black Moon are dressing up in the outfits from our latest music video,” Renji told him. “I thought that maybe you’d want to try something more Visual-Kei? Besides, a lot of the guests are musicians who’ll be showing up in stage outfits or something like that. I figured you wouldn’t want to be left out.”

How thoughtful of him. Byakuya nodded. “Very well,” he said. “I’ll see Ishida during lunch break. Now then,” he glanced at Renji, “as nice as it is that you took the time to see me, you should get back to work. I’m sure you’re quite busy, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Renji said, chuckling. “See you around.”

Once Renji left, closing the door behind him, Byakuya read through the sheets of music. The song was called ‘Komorebi’, which meant ‘sunlight filtering through trees’; a very pretty title. Glancing at the top right corner, Byakuya saw that the song had been written and composed by Ichigo.

He was able to quickly identify the key and beats per minute (B flat minor and eighty-eight beats per minute, actually), something that he always did whenever reading sheet music. As he continued sight-reading the music, Byakuya also read the lyrics on the page. Written mostly in Japanese with some English in it, it was clearly a love song, though a very sad one. And the lyrics themselves were quite profound, speaking of someone who loved another so deeply as they realize that there was no turning back in this love of theirs.

These lyrics spoke to Byakuya quite deeply, as they reminded him of Hisana. They spoke to Byakuya’s own loneliness and sorrow, and his longing for someone to fill the cold, empty void in his heart. But somehow, instead of Hisana’s face coming to mind, it was Renji who came to mind.

No one had made Byakuya feel so many emotions before. But ever since that fateful concert where he met Renji, Byakuya had never been the same. He’d felt warmer, lighter, less troubled, and much less lonely. Renji had been so sweet to him this past while. He never would’ve imagined someone like Renji to be so thoughtful, but here he was.

Byakuya had thought he wanted to help Renji and the rest of Black Moon reach their potential. But now, he wanted more. He wanted to get to know Renji even more and ease this constant loneliness.

He shook his head as he smiled dryly to himself. “Abarai Renji… you are indeed extraordinary,” he murmured.

* * *

“Nii-sama, are you ready?” Rukia asked from behind the window.

Byakuya nodded before sliding the headphones over his ears. “Yes,” he said.

Right now, he was going to record the piano part of the song ‘Komorebi’, and Byakuya couldn’t be more thrilled. Since receiving the sheet music, he’d been practicing to make sure it sounded just how it was intended to sound. Byakuya had never felt so… well, he couldn’t exactly describe what he felt, but it was warm and pleasant and made him feel more alive than he’d felt in a long time.

After practicing the music repeatedly, it was now time for recording the song. Byakuya sat in the recording booth right before a grand piano. Outside of the booth were Rukia, Nemu, Akon, and Renji, who’d shown up to give him some tips should he need them.

Right then, Byakuya heard the ticks of the metronome. After the fourth one, Byakuya began to play the melody, starting out slow as the music required. He occasionally pressed the pedal to make the melody linger when needed, and quickly lifted it back up when he continued to play.

However, recording music proved to be harder than it looked, Byakuya found out. He really had to pay attention to the already-recorded parts in order to get the timing right and he had to be careful not to make any other noises that could possibly be picked up by the microphone.

As Byakuya continued playing, he realized something. Being here, in a recording booth and playing piano, it felt… right. He didn’t feel lonely, he didn’t feel any sort of pain at all.

 _This must be the beauty of music that everyone talks about._ Byakuya mused to himself. The ability to express oneself through music and move people through melody… this was why Byakuya had wanted to become an artist in the first place.

He wanted to make his own music and make people feel things they’ve probably never felt before. Byakuya remembered how his piano teacher used to tell him that the best music is made when one had a personal connection to it. And Hisana often said that music came from the heart. This was what she must have been talking about.

Making music was not just a hobby for Byakuya. To him, making music was what connected him to Hisana, and right now, it was what connected him to Renji.

These thoughts of his... they were so idealistic and romantic, and it had been so long since he’d allowed himself to dream of fanciful ideas. He thought that youthful idealism had died a long time ago, but instead, it had merely been buried under a lot of grief and loneliness.

When they stopped for a break, Byakuya emerged from the studio to sit beside Renji, who smiled at him.

“You did great,” he said. “I could tell that you were really immersed into the music.”

“It’s a beautiful song,” Byakuya said. “I’ll admit, I’m looking forward to seeing how this will turn out.”

“I have a good feeling about this album,” Renji said. “We’ve been experimenting with a lot of different styles of music and the finished tracks have turned out really good. Then again, it helps that Rukia is our producer.”

“Indeed,” Byakuya agreed. “She is one of the best in the industry.”

“And we’re also working with Otoribashi Rojuro for the final product,” Renji said.

Byakuya raised his eyebrows in surprise. Otoribashi Rojuro was one of the best audio mastering engineers in the industry, and having him help out with the final product could definitely guarantee the success of an album. Black Moon was really working with some of the best names in the industry.

“You’re really dedicated to making this album good, aren’t you?” Byakuya observed.

“Of course,” Renji said. “A musician has to be dedicated. Making music shouldn’t just be about fame, it’s about doing what you love the most and expressing yourself.”

“You’re right,” Byakuya agreed.

They talked a little bit more before the recording session started up again. Byakuya made sure to stay focused and play the piano in the way the sheets dictated, and before he realized, the session had finished much quicker than he thought it would. When he emerged from the studio and headed back to his office, Byakuya was called over by the secretary.

“Yes?” he asked, approaching her desk.

“Ishida Uryuu-san stopped by with something for you,” she said, handing him a decently-sized box.

Curious, Byakuya took it. It was a white box with an eggshell-blue ribbon tied over it in a bow. Attached to it was a note that read,

_Kuchiki-san,_

_Here is your outfit for Hirako-kun’s party. I’ve also taken the liberty of adding a few accessories that will match perfectly with this outfit, and a list of instructions for washing. I do hope you like it, I made sure to take you and your tastes into account when making this._

_Ishida Uryuu_

“Thank you,” Byakuya said to his secretary. He made a mental note to send a word of thanks to Ishida when he got the chance.

* * *

The day of Hirako’s party had come much quicker than expected. Renji and the rest of Black Moon had already changed into their outfits from the ‘Momoiro no Hana’ music video and had their makeup applied. Even Yoruichi had dressed up a little bit, now wearing a little black dress that hugged her figure and matching high-heels.

Yoruichi had managed to persuade Byakuya to get ready with the rest of Black Moon, since Yumichika was more than willing to do his makeup and hair. Though Byakuya had been a little bit hesitant to do so, he accepted the offer as it would be much faster to get it done by the band’s makeup artist.

In the dressing room, Byakuya looked at himself in the mirror, having changed into the outfit that Ishida had made. And he had to admit, it was quite a pretty ensemble.

The outfit was a midnight-blue velvet suit over a light-blue silk shirt that showed off some of Byakuya’s chest. On both lapels of the velvet blazer was a gold camellia-shaped pin on each side that connected to each other with a gold chain. Hanging from his neck was a long black chain with a black ring attached to the end, and around his left wrist was a delicate bracelet with gold accents. On both the middle and ring fingers of his right hand were two rings, the first one being thick with a black line through the middle and the second one being thinner with a blue paste stone.

Upon his feet were a pair of gold flats that seemed to complete the outfit. Yes, Byakuya really liked it. It wasn’t outlandish, over-the-top, or extremely gaudy, but classy, sleek, and sophisticated as hell. In fact, it actually suited him as a whole.

When he stepped out, Byakuya was surprised to see Yumichika waiting for him. The latter’s eyes seemed to light up when he saw Byakuya in his outfit.

“Oh my!” he said. “You look stunning, Kuchiki-san. Come here so I can do your makeup.”

Byakuya sat down upon the chair in front of the lit-up mirror as Yumichika opened up one of the makeup kits. It took a while but the finished result was truly worth it.

When Yumichika finished, Byakuya admired himself in the mirror. His eyes were lined with black winged eyeliner that made his eyes sharper, and his eyelids shimmered with dark-blue and gold eyeshadow that blended together smoothly. Upon his lips was a faint amount of pale pink lip colour that looked almost natural. Byakuya had to admit, he looked pretty good with makeup on his face. He was sure that Renji would love to see how he looked.

And sure enough, when Byakuya left the dressing room, he was secretly pleased to see Renji stare at him in shock and fascination.

Renji was stunned at the sight before him. Byakuya looked gorgeous. Sure, he’d always been very pretty but right now, he looked almost like a Visual-Kei star, with a classy velvet suit, makeup, and his hair left freely flowing past his shoulders. He was right. Deep blue looked wonderful on Byakuya.

“Holy shit, you look so hot.” The words slipped out before Renji even realized. As soon as he realized what he just said, Renji blushed and covered his mouth.

Byakuya’s cheeks grew warm but he regarded Renji in amusement as the rest of the band laughed.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Ichigo said. “You look seriously pretty.”

“Very classy,” Hisagi agreed.

Chad nodded. “You look good,” he said.

“The colour suits you,” Hitsugaya added.

Yoruichi grinned. “You’re looking really hot, Byakuya-boy,” she said. “You should consider wearing makeup everyday now.”

“God no,” Byakuya said simply. “It’d be a pain.”

“Well! Let’s get going now!” Yoruichi encouraged. “We wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun, wouldn’t we?”

As they headed out to the car waiting for them, Yoruichi was giving them rules, such as not to get too drunk, don’t do anything that could cause a scandal, basic rules like that. With that, they headed off to Sound Museum Vision, a nightclub in the Shibuya district and the location of Shinji’s party.

* * *

The party was in full swing when they entered the nightclub into Gaia, the main floor.

Renji found himself recognizing a few familiar faces, as it seemed like more than half of the music industry had been invited to the party.

“Guys, look!” Hisagi pointed excitedly at a muscular man with silver hair standing at the back of the club. “It’s Muguruma Kensei! I didn’t know he was coming to the party!” He looked positively thrilled as he made his way over to him, trying to keep his cool.

Yoruichi chuckled. “And there he goes,” she said. “Alright, I’m going down to the V Bar. You guys can go have some fun.”

Ichigo went to the White lounge, Chad headed down to the Deep Space room, and Hitsugaya headed to the Circle Bar, leaving only Renji and Byakuya.

Byakuya observed his surroundings, almost feeling the loud music pulsing through his body. This place was loud, even louder than the concert. At least in the concert, the crowd had been more controlled. Here, the dance floor was filled with too many people and the music was much too loud for his tastes. Then again, this kind of a place was exactly what someone like Hirako Shinji would like.

Without realizing, his hand slipped into Renji’s. “Where should we go?” he asked.

Renji glanced down and saw Byakuya holding his hand. While he was surprised, he didn’t say anything.

“How ‘bout we head to the White lounge?” Renji suggested. “I’ll bet Rukia might be there. Come.”

Renji led Byakuya towards the lounge and Byakuya found himself slowly calming down as he continued holding Renji’s hand. Something about him just made him feel so much more at peace.

As the name suggested, the lounge was pristine white. It wasn’t as loud or crowded as the main dancefloor, but there was still a decent crowd. It was also where Rukia, the Beauty Queens, Ichigo, and Hirako Shinji himself were hanging out.

Rukia happened to turn to the entrance when they entered and her eyes widened in surprise. “Nii-sama! I didn’t know you were actually coming!” she said. “And… oh my gosh. You look amazing!”

“Thank you, Rukia,” Byakuya said, nodding as he and Renji sat down on the couches.

“Yo, Renji!” Shinji greeted. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good,” Renji said. “Happy birthday, by the way.”

“Thanks! By the way, where’s the rest of the band?” Shinji asked.

“Chad’s in the Deep Space room, and Toshiro’s at the Circle bar,” Ichigo said. “Yoruichi-san is hanging out at the V bar as well.”

“And Shuuhei-kun?” Rangiku asked.

Renji laughed lightly. “He saw Muguruma Kensei and ran off to meet him,” he said. “Can’t blame him, honestly. I’d have done the same thing if it were Zaraki Kenpachi.”

Both Rangiku and Orihime were dressed quite gorgeously. Rangiku wore a short, glittery one-shoulder purple dress that hugged her voluptuous figure with a long sleeve on the right arm, while Orihime wore an equally short and glittery dress that clung to her figure, except hers was rosy-pink and was a backless halter dress. Both wore high heels that matched their dresses and had dainty silver tiaras in their hair.

Briefly, Renji wondered just how anyone could even walk in stilettos that tall.

Rangiku pouted slightly. “Aw, that’s too bad. I really was looking forward to meeting him. I wanted to see what he thought of my outfit,” she said huffily before smiling again. “Oh well! I totally understand how he feels. Meeting your favourite singer is an awesome experience.”

“Eeeeehhhh?! That’s where Kensei went?!” A perky young woman with lime-green hair appeared, looking childishly confused. She wore a bright orange romper that clashed yet went well with her bright green hair.

Shinji sighed. “Does it really surprise ya, Mashiro? Kensei’s been tryin’ ta ditch ya since he got here,” he told her. He then turned to the others. “Guys, this is Kuna Mashiro, Kensei’s manager.”

“Kensei’s _super_ manager, excuse you!” she corrected before pouting. “That stupid Kensei. Doesn’t he know that a manager must always take care of the singer? Maybe I should’ve been the singer instead! Stuuuuupid Kensei! Now I gotta go find him but I don’t wanna!”

Byakuya and Renji stared, bewildered, as Mashiro began having a tantrum.

“I don’t wanna go find him! I don't wanna, I don't wanna! Stupid Kensei!” she was whining as she ran out of the lounge.

“...the hell?” Ichigo asked, looking completely bewildered. “How is someone like her a manager for Muguruma Kensei?”

Shinji shrugged. “Beats me,” he said. “Personally, I think someone like Shihouin Yoruichi would’ve been a good manager for Kensei, but I know she’s the manager for Black Moon. But really, she was my first-”

He was promptly interrupted by a flip-flop hurtling towards him and smacking him in the face. “Happy birthday, Baldy Shinji!” a rough female voice greeted.

A petite girl with blonde pigtails came up to them as Shinji removed the flip-flop from his face and glared at her.

“The fuck was that for, Hiyori?!” he demanded. “And where’d you get that from?! You can’t wear ‘em here!”

“Of course not, Baldy! I just snuck ‘em in!” Hiyori retorted. “And besides, yer face just looks ripe for kicking as always!”

Shinji sighed and turned to the others. “Guys, this is Sarugaki Hiyori, our stage manager,” he said.

Hiyori looked unimpressed. “That’s it? I’m just yer stage manager? I’m a lot more than that, Baldy!” she snapped.

As Shinji and Hiyori started bickering, Byakuya just watched in quiet confusion. He never knew the music industry was filled with such… quirky people.

Renji laughed at Byakuya’s confused look. “Don’t worry, she threw us off after our interview too,” he reassured him. “She’s a little quick-tempered.”

“A little?” Byakuya repeated incredulously. “That’s an understatement.”

While Shinji and Hiyori bickered, Renji and the others discussed their upcoming projects and the like.

“So, when’s your tour starting?” Ichigo asked Orihime.

“The tour starts at the end of June and finishes towards the end of July,” Orihime said. “We’ll be starting in Nagoya and finishing in Sapporo. And then a month later is our finale in Tokyo Dome!”

“Ah, right! I heard that you guys were planning on touring as well!” Rangiku chimed in.

Byakuya glanced at Renji. “You are?” he asked.

“Yeah, after the album comes out,” Renji said. “We’ll start at the beginning of December and finish toward the end of January. And at some point in February, we’ll have the finale.” He smiled. “I really can’t wait for it.”

“But first, we’re giving two more concerts,” Ichigo said. “First one is on August 31st at Shinjuku Blaze. It also happens to be on Renji’s birthday as well!”

Renji nodded, smiling. “Yeah, and I can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen,” he said.

“And the second one?” Rukia asked.

Ichigo shook his head. “That’s a surprise. You’ll find out if you come to the concert,” he teased.

Byakuya mentally made a note to remember the concert date, and to get something for Renji’s birthday.

They continued talking with each other when Renji noticed that Byakuya was starting to look a little overwhelmed. He couldn’t blame him. The club was a loud place after all. Moving closer to him, he asked, “wanna step out for a bit?”.

“Yes please,” Byakuya said.

Renji and Byakuya stepped out of the lounge into the gallery space and headed to the locker room, which was empty save for the both of them. As soon as they entered the locker room, Byakuya sighed in relief. “Thank you, Renji,” he said. “It was getting much too loud.”

“No problem,” Renji said, leaning against the wall. “You look like you’re not used to this environment.”

“I’m not, really,” Byakuya agreed. “I’ve never gone to clubs like this before. But you look like you’re used to it.”

“That’s ‘cause a lot of gigs I’ve done with previous bands were in nightclubs and smaller venues,” Renji explained. “When you’re new to the scene, you need to promote the band by yourself and book gigs at popular clubs to gain attention. It’s actually pretty common to see a lot of bands at nightclubs checking out other bands that are performing.” He smiled fondly. “It’s how I met Zaraki Kenpachi.”

Byakuya raised his eyebrows. “Do tell,” he said. “What is he like?”

“He’s a pretty cool guy, actually,” Renji said. “Sure, he screams and growls a lot in his music, but that’s his style. He looks pretty scary, but he’s not that bad. He gave me advice on how to succeed as a musician and how to survive in the industry. After all, he’s one of the veteran rockstars.”

Renji looked at Byakuya once more and admired just how stunningly gorgeous he looked. The eyeshadow and eyeliner really highlighted his piercing eyes and made them look sharper, and the blue stood out perfectly against his pale skin. He liked how the outfit wasn’t too extravagant or over-the-top. Instead, it was refined, classy, and elegant, and it suited his aristocratic beauty.

“You look amazing, by the way,” he said. “Did I tell you that?”

Byakuya’s lips twitched slightly. “I believe you told me that I looked ‘hot’, but thank you,” he said, smiling briefly.

“It suits you really well. Like, I think you should use a little bit of Visual-Kei in your appearance when you become a musician,” Renji continued.

Byakuya was about to say something when he paused at Renji’s words. “‘When’ I become a musician?” he repeated, surprised.

“That wasn’t a mistake,” Renji said. “Look, I’ve seen you already. You clearly want to be a musician, right? So do it. You run the company, so you can definitely be a musician as well.”

Was he actually encouraging him? Byakuya was stunned. “But if my family finds out?” he asked.

“Don’t worry ‘bout ‘em,” Renji told him sincerely. “Do whatever you want.”

He didn’t know what to say. While Byakuya was touched by Renji’s encouragement, he wondered why. Why was Renji encouraging him like this?

“Why?” Byakuya asked, staring at Renji. “Why are you doing this? Why are you being so… encouraging and nice?”

Oh, just looking at Byakuya right now made Renji want to pull him into a hug. He looked so vulnerable, his eyes filled with so many suppressed emotions, and Renji could almost see the ghost of a young, lonely teenager in that moment, someone who’d just had their dreams crushed before them.

“Because you like making music,” Renji told him, his voice quiet. “Because I know you’ll be a good musician. And because… I…” He blushed and averted his eyes. “I like you.”

Renji couldn’t believe he said it. Yes, he knew he’d liked Byakuya for a while now, and it had only been sealed that day when Byakuya played the piano for him. He never thought that he could become friends with the CEO of the record label he was signed to right now, let alone like him. Now, Renji knew that he felt something deeper for Byakuya, yet he couldn’t put his finger on it at the moment. All he knew, though, was that he wanted to get closer to Kuchiki Byakuya.

Byakuya was stunned. “You… like me?” he repeated. For a moment, he couldn’t believe what he heard. “Are… Are you serious?”

“I never joke about my feelings, Byakuya,” Renji said seriously. “If you don’t feel the same, that’s fine. I just… I had to get it out there.”

A tiny smile crossed Byakuya’s face. “I would be lying if I said that I didn’t feel the same,” he admitted. “Truthfully, I’m not too sure what it is I feel right now, but I know it’s a good thing.”

He hadn’t felt such an honest yearning in such a long time, and he liked it. Byakuya wanted to feel this warmth even more; after all, hadn’t he suffered enough? He’d been afraid that he’d be dishonouring Hisana by allowing himself to feel this warmth and happiness, but now, he wasn’t so afraid. He was tired of denying himself those feelings, and it was what Hisana would’ve wanted for him as well: to be happy. He didn’t know how deep these feelings went, but Byakuya was sure that he would figure it out in time.

However…

“But what about your career?” Byakuya remembered. “I don’t want to be the cause of your ruin, Renji.”

Renji smiled. “Nobody has to know,” he said, moving closer to Byakuya. “It’ll be between just you and me.”

With that, he pressed a light kiss upon Byakuya’s temple, inhaling his gentle, fragrant scent. When he pulled away, he tucked a few strands of silky hair behind Byakuya’s ear, giving him a sincere smile.

And then Byakuya blushed and Renji knew right then that he was too far gone for sure. He looked quite cute when he blushed.

“You wanna go home?” Renji asked.

“Why not?” Byakuya said, pulling out his phone. “I’ll call my driver.”

“Cool. I’ll just let Yoruichi know that I’m heading home.” Renji pulled out his phone and sent a text to Yoruichi and the rest of the band, telling them he was heading home for the night.

When the car came, they got in as Byakuya gave instructions to the driver to drop Renji off at the studio so he could change clothes first. It didn’t take too long for Renji to wash off the makeup and change back into his regular clothes, and then they drove to Renji’s apartment. The drive was silent for the most part, and when they reached the small apartment complex, Byakuya got out and accompanied Renji to his place.

“Thanks for giving me a ride home,” Renji said.

“There’s no need to thank me,” Byakuya reassured. “Have a good night, Renji.”

Renji turned to say his good night when he paused as he really looked at Byakuya.

Under the moonlight, Byakuya was impossibly ethereal. His pale skin almost glowed in the silvery moonlight, his eyes glinting and seeming almost brighter, yet looking unintentionally smoky and sultry. And his lips… the way those pale-pink lips were parted slightly was just so tempting and Renji found himself moving closer to Byakuya, his hand reaching out and gently cupping his face.

Byakuya didn’t move. He looked just as entranced as Renji leaned closer. Their foreheads were touching and their lips were inches apart.

“Don’t stop me, please?” Renji murmured, lowering his eyes.

Byakuya nodded, slowly closing his eyes as Renji closed the distance and gently captured Byakuya’s lips with his own.

Renji’s lips were soft, way softer than Byakuya imagined. He smelled of sandalwood and makeup and his lips tasted almost like baby powder from the lipstick he wore. A few strands of Renji’s hair brushed gently against Byakuya’s cheeks, feeling softer than Byakuya expected and smelling so fragrant that it made his insides tingly. Despite how tentative the kiss was, it was almost electrifying, and Byakuya had never felt so alive.

It ended much too soon for Byakuya’s taste. When Renji pulled away, Byakuya realized just how warm his face was and he turned away, trying to avoid looking at Renji’s grin.

“Good night, Byakuya,” Renji said, opening his door and stepping inside.

Byakuya gave him a small smile. “Good night, Renji.”

**Author's Note:**

> And our boys are getting even closer! They've kissed, confessed that they may like each other, and more will happen very soon!
> 
> Let me know how I did :) Have a good one!


End file.
